


Hungry Eyes

by Raptor_Red



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/F, Lesbian Positivity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-21
Updated: 2015-08-21
Packaged: 2018-04-16 11:47:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4624215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raptor_Red/pseuds/Raptor_Red
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The year is 1963, it's a chilly late spring night and Pearl is a young, closeted lesbian about to enter a gay bar for the first time in her life. She shares a dance with someone special, someone who even helps her learn a little about herself in the progress.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hungry Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> This work is brought to you by: My love for the dancing scenes in Dirty Dancing but my disdain for the amount of heterosexuality in it too. (also don't worry, you don't need to have seen that movie to read this) 
> 
> Oh and, I'm 21 years old, from Europe and I grew up in a rather small town so I hope you can excuse any historical inaccuracies that come with me writing about a gay bar in the middle of New York in 1963, I really just wrote this to indulge myself. 
> 
> The song that starts playing later on in the fic -you'll know when it happens- is Hungry Eyes by Eric Carmen

“Are you really sure this is the right place, Amethyst?”, you say while you rub your left shoulder with your right arm to get the blood circulating in it again. It was a rather chilly night, maybe you should have put on that cardigan after all, as your light teal dress -the one with the pleated skirt that you liked so much- didn’t do much to protect you against the cold.

“Yeah Pearl, I’m pretty sure I haven’t forgotten the way since the last twenty times I’ve been here. Or are you afraid I’m leading you to some rat-infested underground ditch?”, Amethyst says without looking back to you, she keeps walking in front of you and you continue paying close attention to your surroundings. This not particularly well-lit backstreet didn’t make you feel very safe, to say the least. 

Your anticipation for tonight still outweighs your fear by far though, after weeks of scheming your plan to come here had finally fallen into motion. And it was a failsafe one, it had to be. You had told your parents you’d be studying with Amethyst and then sleep over at her place afterwards. And they were out on a bingo night with friends, ensuring that they wouldn’t call at Amethyst’s to ask you if everything was alright. 

You hoped, _prayed_ , this would be enough to keep them from finding out where you really went. To a bar, a gay bar, to be exact. 

“And there it is!” Amethyst announces and spreads out her arms, as if presenting the building on the other side of the street to you. 

You would have never found this place on your own, you think, it’s just a non-descript brick house, much like the ones to the left and right to it, but with a large neon sign mounted vertically to the walls declaring its name: “The Pink Rose”, moths swarming around the sign and around the street light in front of it. You couldn’t have distinguished it from a regular bar, at least not from the outside. 

You quickly catch up with Amethyst, who has crossed the street by now and beckons you to follow. You clutch your purse a bit tighter, holding onto something helps with your nervosity a little.

Years ago, when you first admitted to yourself just who and what you are, you would have given anything to meet people like you, people who would make you feel less alone, less... _flawed_ , you shudder as you think of what your parents would think of you now, about to walk into a gay bar in a shady backstreet somewhere in Greenwich Village. You quickly brush the thought off, though when you see Amethyst about to open the dark red swing door to the bar. Meeting her in a class at college you both attended had been good for you, for you both, you think. Being her friend wasn’t always easy however, your opposing personalities were a great breeding ground for arguments.

“You ready P? You’re kinda looking like you’re about to take flight over there. We’re just going to a gay bar, not a battle to the death, you know.”

You bristle and straighten your back. “I know Amethyst, I’m fine.”

Amethyst shrugs at your reply, “Okay then, just remember to have fun and be yourself, ‘s what I always say. Oh but, whatever you do, don’t go into the last bathroom stall, you’d regret it, trust me.”

Before you can ask about the last bathroom stall’s terrible secret, Amethyst has pushed the entrance door open and you’re greeted by the blare of loud music and people trying to talk with each other over said loud music. 

She’s pulled you inside along with her and then she’s off to the bar counter a moment later, leaving you to stand around on your own, probably looking like a little lost girl. While you wait for her to come back, you take in the scene in front of you with wide eyes.

The place is quite crowded, you note, people of all ethnicities moving about the bustle, talking, drinking, laughing and dancing. And what _kinds_ of people they are, you really did come to a gay bar, there was no doubt about it anymore. Everyone around you is leaching out this _otherness_ that you’re so familiar with, be it the men, women or even the people dressed in ways that make you wonder if they want to fit into either of those categories at all. 

To your right you notice a large, muscular woman wearing a white t-shirt, jeans and biker boots, her hair is long like Amethyst’s but even unrulier than hers. She’s talking to a different woman, smaller, darker-skinned, with glasses and a short mop of hair. You can barely see her now anymore however, the taller woman has her backed against the wall behind them now and, _oh._

You avert your eyes immediately, they’ve started kissing each other.

“Ey Pearl, there you are, wondered where you had wandered off too.”, Amethyst was back from her journey to the bar counter, now holding a tall glass with colorful liquid inside in each hand. 

“I haven’t walked a single step since you’ve left me here, Amethyst.” 

She hands you one of the glasses, “Well you shoulda have, though. Come on Pearl, loosen up that stick in your butt,”, she makes a sweeping gesture toward the dance floor, “find yourself a little _amor_ out there.”

“I don’t-, what-”, you make a little exasperated tsk-ing sound with your tongue but Amethyst interrupts you before you can even open your mouth again: “Actually, that gives me an idea. Pearl, your mission for tonight -and you have to accept it- is to make it across the dance floor in one piece, I’ll find you again afterwards, if you find me before that and I’m macking on someone, don’t interrupt.” She emphasizes the last part of her sentence.

And then she turns to meld into the undulating crowd behind her, before you can reach out and stop her.

“Amethyst, you come back here right now! You can’t just leave me on my own!!!”

“Sorry P, it’s for your own good, see ya later!”, is the last you hear from her before she’s out of your sight, she’s disappeared behind two bulky men who are dancing as if it’s the last thing they’d ever do. 

You resist the urge to stomp your foot in frustration, instead you take a sip from your drink, and promptly make a face, it tastes horribly sweet and very alcoholic.

For lack of anything better to do, you start wandering around this side of the bar aimlessly, yet you still try not to look too out of place or get into people’s ways. Easier said than done, you think. 

You arrive at the counter eventually and notice one of the bar stools, one at a corner at that, is abandoned. You quickly claim it as your own and take a seat, attempting to be graceful about it and as if this is exactly the place where you want to be right now. 

You nurse your drink, and then another while you look at the busy dance floor again. You still can’t find a trace of Amethyst, you briefly wonder what she’s doing right now. You sigh and take in all the couples dancing instead, and you’re still getting used to the fact that it’s always women with women, and men with men. Their movements, so close to each other, would have you looking away blushing again, like you had done when you’d seen the two women kiss, but the alcohol in you was taking effect now, so you continue staring at them unabashedly. _It must be incredible to dance like this with another woman, without shame nor fear._

When you order your third drink, the bartender takes notice of you, -and you of her. It’s hard not to, she’s a tall, curvaceous woman in her late thirties, wearing a soft looking white dress and her hair is truly enormous. Amethyst could probably hide in it completely. 

She sets your ordered drink down in front of you and asks, “You doing okay over here, sweetie?” Her smile looks completely genuine and makes you feel a little warmer inside. 

“Y-yes, yes. I’m just waiting for a friend. She should be back soon."

Her smile fades, only to be replaced by a frown, wrinkling her forehead slightly. She’s carefully polishing a glass in her hand with a piece of cloth as she says, “Sorry, I’ve just noticed you sitting here all on your own for a while now, aren’t you feeling well? Not having fun?”

“No, it’s not that”, you start, struggling for the right words because you didn’t want her to think your mopey attitude was an insult to her establishment. “It’s just… I…” You want to smack yourself in the face but then you hear the bartender chuckle lightly and she speaks again, “Oh I think I get it now! It’s your first time, isn’t it?”

“...Yes.”, you offer shyly, she’d read you like an open book. 

She laughs again, but still it sounds friendly, “Don’t worry about it, we all had to start somewhere. You can keep me company at the bar if you’d like but, maybe you shouldn’t give up on this night quite yet! You aren’t the only one alone here tonight, there’s bound to be a lonely soul around here for you too. Oh, now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work.”

The bartender turns away from you then to grab a bottle of some liquor from the shelves behind her and another glass as she starts taking orders from waiting customers again. You stare at the slightly scratched surface of the counter as you digest the wisdom she’d just bestowed on you. 

You glance up again, over to the dance floor, and make a decision. After downing your drink quickly you get up from your seat and make your way over to the mass of dancing people; 

only to have your confidence sinking again a moment later, what were you even thinking there at the counter? That you’d just walk up and throw yourself in here? 

You step backwards again, until you’re standing against the wall behind you and you’re fully committed to another round of staring at other people enjoying themselves, but then someone steps into your field of vision from the right.

“May I have the next dance?” 

You turn to look at the woman who had just talked to you and your eyes go wide instantly. She is tall and athletic, muscular even, and dark-skinned, her large afro seemed to defy gravity and you admire her beautiful outfit for a moment too. She’s wearing neat black dress slacks and matching shoes together with a white button-down -the sleeves casually rolled up to her elbows- and black suspenders over it. All in all, she looked _stunning_. And she had just asked _you_ to dance with her. 

You shuffle your feet on the spot awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what to do with yourself. “Oh, I, uh, I’d love to! But I’m afraid I don’t know how?”, you reply as realization hits you, you’ve never actually danced in a bar, you’ve had countless hours of ballet practice when you were younger, sure, but this was much different. 

“I could show you.”, her voice is warm and deep and she says it less like a question, and more like a statement. Without thinking, you take the hand she’s offered you and she pulls you onto the dance floor at last. 

You realize just how hot and humid it is in here from the combined body warmth and sweat of every person in the bar, but you don’t dwell on it for long, as the other woman steps closer to you to better talk with you over the loud music.

“Hello, I’m Garnet by the way. What’s your name?”

“Pearl.” 

A small smile tugs at Garnet’s mouth, “Nice to meet you, Pearl.”

The next song starts playing then, it’s moderately paced and any other time you’d think it cheesy tripe but right now it sounds just perfect to you. 

Garnet gently takes your hands in hers -you’re painfully aware that yours are slightly sweaty- and starts moving her feet to the beat, only back and forth for now. _She’s showing me_ , registers in your mind and you fall into step with her, letting yourself be guided. You quickly get the hang of that so Garnet starts adding slight movements of her hips to it, as well as letting her knees bend and straighten to the tune with more vigor. 

You get the urge to look down at your feet, to make sure you’re doing it _correctly_ , but Garnet leans forward and nudges your chin with a finger slightly, “Hey, let me look at your face.” You blush deeply as you hold her gaze, you think maybe downing that last drink so fast was a bad idea after all. 

With time however, your movement and stance become less stiff, you remember the confidence you’ve always felt when doing ballet and you try to channel some of it now, Garnet seems to feel it too, she’s stopped telling you how to move with her body and instead starts to actually dance with you. She’s come closer too now, one of her hands resting on your bony hip, the other still holding your hand that’s not sitting on her shoulder, almost against her neck. 

Dancing with her feels like riding the music itself and finally, _finally_ , you let loose. The crowd around you forgotten as you move against each other, your foreheads touching briefly, Garnet has to bend downward to do so. Her arms are holding you close, and you’ve never felt safer anywhere else. 

You pick up momentum as the song reaches its crescendo and then Garnet lets go of your hips to twirl you around, you go along with it instinctively, it makes you dizzy and you laugh joyously at the childish excitement you get from it. 

When you come back to Garnet, you find she’s aligned herself with her chest to your back now, it’s a small challenge to figure out how to move your feet along with hers when you’re standing like that but you manage after stepping on her shoes just once. She’s swaying her hips against you and the new contact runs like electricity from your toes up to your nape, spreading in your chest with a fizzle. You lean back against her slightly and lift your arms slowly, it seems like the only right thing to do and Garnet goes along with your movements, sensually running her hands up your now exposed sides. 

Afterwards, she spins you around, to face her again and you catch yourself by holding onto her shoulders, your heart is beating very hard and very fast when you look into her eyes again. 

The song picks up one last time and then you let her dip you back without hesitating for even a moment, trusting her completely not to drop you. And she doesn’t, your fingers can almost touch the grimy floor under you but her hand on your back keeps you just above it. For a second you think you’re flying and you can sense every insecurity and fear pour out of you onto the ground beneath you. This, -dancing with another woman, _touching_ another woman- feels good and pure and _right_ , you’re overcome by the intensity of the realization. 

And then, just like that, the song is over and Garnet pulls you up again, lifts you off your feet for a second even, before setting you down again carefully. 

You’re both breathing heavily, the crowd around you continues with its uniform rolling movement to the music, indifferently, now without you and Garnet, though. 

Suddenly you feel a little overwhelmed by all these people around you, Garnet seems to sense your discomfort as she pulls you from the dance floor again to stand in an empty spot near the wall.

“I should probably find Amethyst, she must be worried about me by now.” You stand on your toes now, trying to have a better view of your surroundings that way. And sure enough, there you spot her after all. She’s sitting on another bar stool, between two women you’ve never seen before, she looks rather busy as she flirts with them. Both of them. At the same time. You groan. 

“Looks like your friend is a little...preoccupied at the moment.”, Garnet says, matter-of-factly. She’s still with you and you notice you haven’t let go of her right hand yet. And neither has she let go of yours.

Unsure of how to proceed now, you worry your lower lip. You’ve kind of had enough of the noise, the heat and the people for tonight. But not of Garnet. 

She offers a solution for your problem, “You should wait outside for her, I’m sure she’ll come and I can keep you company in the meantime, if you want.”

You make it through the crowd with Garnet then, her size helps her with parting it before her, and you. As you walk past the bar counter again you see the barkeeper once more, she doesn’t look at you, though, as she’s chatting animatedly with several customers. You send a grateful smile her way anyways.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first thing you do when you’re finally outside again, is take a deep breath. The fresh, cold night air filling your lungs with still unused oxygen. 

Garnet doesn’t seem to have reached her destination just outside the bar, she continues walking down the street and you follow after her quickly. The walk doesn’t take long, however, she turns toward the alley between the bar and the neighboring building. 

For a moment you wonder why she’d lead you there instead of waiting at the door, but the look she sends you clears any questions and for once in your life -you blame it on the alcohol and the high you’re still on from dancing with her- you don’t overthink your actions and just let yourself be pinned against the brick wall and then, she’s kissing you. 

Her broad lips feel unbelievably soft against your slightly chapped ones, kissing her is nothing like kissing boys, there’s nothing greedy or selfish about her, you think while remembering Bill from high school with a shudder. But you can’t focus on any bad memories for long, Garnet has closed any remaining distance between you two and you yield to her readily, bringing one leg up to wrap around her hips, to keep her in place. 

You make a soft sound at the back of your throat when she deepens the kiss and she replies with a low hum, you feel it more than you hear it. It’s a subtle push and pull of your tongues that you can lose yourself completely in, and easily, and so you do. 

Eventually however, Garnet pulls away from you and you take the chance to gasp for air, you look into her eyes, and it’s not easy to tell because they’re a rather dark brown, but her pupils are blown wide, yours must be too. Then she goes for your neck, peppering it first with small closed mouthed kisses, and you sigh at that, but it turns into a whimper when she starts nibbling and sucking. You bury your hands in her hair first, to keep you grounded, before letting them wander down to her back where you clench fistfuls of the material of her shirt. 

You want to give her more of you, _all of you_ and you think she might not be opposed to it, but before you can go through with any of that you’re interrupted by someone noisily clearing their throat behind Garnet. 

You set the leg you still have around her down again and she pulls away, completely now, without hurry and appearing seemingly collected.

You think you might scream when you see it’s Amethyst who is standing with you in the alley, good to know the _don’t interrupt_ rule only goes one way. 

“I saw you on your way out and I thought you didn’t feel so well, so I went after you, but looks like you were feeling a little _too well._ ”, Amethyst snorts and you can tell she’s rather drunk, arguing with her now wouldn’t do any good. Still you want to, though. 

Turning back to Garnet you say, “I think I should really take her home….”, you trail off, not wanting to leave her quite yet.

She smiles and says, “Come home safely. And don’t worry Pearl, we’ll meet again soon.” Her voice a little rough, she wasn't so unaffected by your earlier activities after all maybe. 

Then she walks up to you again and gives you a light kiss on the forehead, the tenderness of it surprising you after your heated moments just a minute ago. 

She steps back and simply starts walking away into the opposite direction you’ll have to go to get home. But she still she stops one last time to look at you before she turns around the corner and is gone.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, comments and criticism are highly appreciated!
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


End file.
